How to Become a 911 Dispatcher in Saint Petersburg-Pinellas County, Florida

When looking at how to become a 911 dispatcher in Saint Petersburg-Pinellas County, you’ll first need to determine whether you want to be a police dispatcher or a fire/medical dispatcher. Police dispatchers are hired through and serve the City of Saint Petersburg, while emergency fire/medical dispatchers are employed through Pinellas County and are the first professionals to answer the phone anytime there is a 911 call for help from anywhere in the county.

If you are ready to make yourself into a competitive applicant and begin an extended training program, then review the following steps involved in becoming a 911 Dispatcher in Saint Petersburg-Pinellas County:

Police Emergency Radio Dispatcher salary starts at $36,649.60 per year

Pinellas County 911 Public Safety Telecommunicators earn a minimum of $31,170.60 per year

Dispatchers at the Pinellas County Communications Center are the first to answer any 911 call made in the entire county, which total more than 570,000 annually

The Saint Petersburg Police Department’s Emergency Communications Division received 399,674 calls for service last year, with 76,293 of those being 911 emergencies

The Pinellas County Communications Center transfers law enforcement emergency calls to 10 different agencies within its territory and dispatches for 19 different fire departments

Step 1. Increase Your Qualifications

A good strategy for increasing the competitiveness of your candidacy is to obtain a college degree that is relevant to the field of 911 dispatching. In the case of becoming a fire/medical dispatcher this can fulfill one of your pre-employment requirements, and for either position having a degree will always distinguish you from your competitors who do not.

With a variety of educational options available online and two colleges located in Saint Petersburg, you will be able to find programs such as:

Law Enforcement, with courses including patrol procedures and criminal investigations

Communications, covering material such as intercultural communication and effective listening

Having a college degree can not only help you in your initial employment application, it can also make it easier for you to climb the promotional career ladder and provide you with more options in the future.

Step 2. Apply with Saint Petersburg or Pinellas County

Once you are convinced you have obtained enough 911 operator training to make a winning application you are ready to apply. By this point you should have a solid idea which path you are interested in pursuing:

If your application is still deemed relevant after review of this you will next need to pass the CritiCall skills assessment test. If you are among the top scorers and you additionally make it through an interview process, you will be requested to complete a final Personal History Questionnaire and proceed through the rest of the hiring process which includes:

Polygraph exam

Background investigation

Written and in-person psychological exam

Keep in mind that you can only apply for 911 jobs in Saint Petersburg when there are vacancies. The police department will post any open dispatcher positions on its website.

Step 3. Participate in the Required Training

When evaluating how to make yourself a more attractive applicant, a good starting point is to research the following 911 dispatcher training you will be required to obtain after you are hired. To start with, whether you are interested in working as a police or fire/medical dispatcher, your hiring agency must provide you with the resources to become a Certified Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST), as per Florida law. The Saint Petersburg Police Department provides this through its Emergency Radio Dispatcher Academy which is two weeks of classroom education followed by training on-the-job.

PST Certification courses must provide at least 232 hours of instruction and cover areas such as:

Step 4. Maintain and Grow Your Credentials

Your employing agency will keep you up to date on what you need to do to maintain your Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST) Certification, which will involve:

Obtaining 20 hours of approved PST continuing education before February 1st of odd-numbered years

Submitting a renewal form and a $50 renewal fee to the Florida Department of Health

You can always stay current with the latest 911 dispatcher-related developments by attending educational and training opportunities hosted by the following agencies; this is a good way to ensure you stay competitive within your field and improve upon your growing experience: